


New Pack

by Deadling



Category: Dead Things Series - Martina McAtee
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 00:16:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17090468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deadling/pseuds/Deadling
Summary: The Belladonna pack is comfortable...for once. This changes when Ralph and Lauren come knocking on the pack's door with a request that Ember can't accept.





	New Pack

“I don’t see any new shifters,” Rhys grumbled, examining the yard very carefully. “But I swear I can smell one.”

  
Isa walked up behind him, running her eyes along the edge of the woods with her brother. “Odd.”

  
“Hello.” Kai and Ember run into the main entryway at the screams of a startled Isa and Wren, Mace slowly sauntering behind. When Ember got there, Isa was already partially shifted, her claws around the neck of a scrawny kid gasping for air. “Please...explain.”

  
The Alpha dropped the shifter to the porch and he fell back on his elbows, gazing up at the wolves with horror.

  
“Who are you?” Kai spoke first, elbowing his way past Rhys to look at the young boy who looked a lot like Donovan, albeit with longer hair. “Or what are you?”

  
Isa threw her hands up, seemingly distracted from the intruder for a moment. “Kai! Rude!”

  
A single caw sounded from the sky and Ember looked up at the sapphire sky. A beautiful black raven was circling the house, her calls growing increasingly frustrated as she neared the ground. In a flash of light, the raven grew into a human and walked to the porch--with all of the confidence a shifter could possibly have when naked.

  
Ember squeaked, covering her eyes as Kai marched up the steps in search of clothes for the raven and unknown shifter.

  
“I apologize for my friend.” The voice sounded feminine and although Ember was averting her eyes, she concluded that it was the raven shifter speaking when a distinctly male grunt followed a sharp thawp. “We come from a small pack of shifters and are hoping to talk to your Necromancer.”

  
Kai returned with the clothes but at the sound of their inquiry, he withdrew, almost as if their punishment for suggesting such a thing would cost them the clothes they were comfortable without.

  
“What?” Rhys ground out, “Why would you want to talk to her?”

  
The scrawny shifter jumped to his feet and held out his hand. “We have a proposal for her, of course?”

  
“A proposal?” Mace grumbled from behind Ember. “What kind?”

  
Just then, the unknown shifter glanced over Isa--since he was just a few inches taller--and gazed at Ember, jaw-dropping.

  
“That’s her!”

  
Kai yelped as he shrunk into his shifted form and crawled across the floor as a...spider? He unshifted beside Ember on one knee. Ember flushed a deep red, frozen in place as the spider shifter --who was still naked-- took her hand.

  
“My name is Ralph, and I’m in...”

  
The spider suddenly grew very quiet as Mace settled himself on Ember’s shoulder, glaring deeply. “I heard somewhere that spiders are excellent sources of protein, luv. I’ve never gotten to try one for myself though. Would you like to volunteer, mate?”

  
Ember turned to Mace, poking his cheek. “You’re scaring him.”

  
“Am I?” Mace said thoughtfully. “Oh my deepest apologies, Ronald. I had no clue.”

  
The spider narrowed his eyes. “It’s Ralph.”

  
“Ah, sorry, Richard. Would you like some clothes?” Kai set a pair of pants in Mace’s outstretched hand, an amused expression on his face. “Here, mate.” Mace chucked the clothing at Ralph who sputtered but took them and put them on.

  
“You’re rude for an English person, aren’t they supposed to be nice?”

  
The raven shifter behind Ralph--now fully clothed in a tight tank top and basketball shorts-- balked at her companion’s stereotyping.

  
A devilish smile spread across Mace’s face. “You’re rather brave for someone talking to a soul eater.”

  
“A-A soul eater?” The spider shot up and walked over to his friend, hiding behind her arm. “You know there are humans that would beg to say I don’t have a soul. So, stay over there.”

  
The Raven sent a death glare at Ralph before turning to Isa and extending her hand. Isa shook her hand before sending an inquisitive look at the other shifter.

  
“So, why exactly are you here?”

  
The raven shifter suddenly dawned a sad look in her eyes, ignoring Ralph clinging to her. “My name is Lauren and we are here to ask you if you would help us resurrect our fallen alpha.”


End file.
